Refrigerating method and apparatus



Oct. 22, 1929. w s 1,732,596

REFRIGERATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l T i Fig.1..

I N VEN TOR I Harri/D Ed'wwrda BY 19am ATTORNEYS Oct. 22', 1929.,

D. EDWARDS 1,732,596

REFRIGERATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1923 Z Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VENTOR HarryD EcZwamcZs ATTORNEYS Zilti Patented Oct. 22, 1929 PATENT OFFICE HARRY n. nnwnnns, or rancnmon'r, new Yoax BEFRIGEBATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Application ma May 5, 1923. Serial No. 636,843.

This invention relates to refrigerating machines and apparatus, and is more particularly directed to a type of refrigerator suitable for household installations and suitable for using a refrigerant medium such as butane.

Many types of household refrigerators have been more or less unsatisfactory on account of the refrigerants used, such as n ethylchloride, sulphur dioxide, carbon tetrachloride, etc., which are poisonous or anesthetic, or which combine with water or react upon the apparatus in some undesirable manner peculiar to the refrigerant used.

lti

tion is to provide a method of refrigerating in which the refrigerant used has none of these disagreeable properties and whose cycle of operations for producing temperatures at necessary for ordinary household refrigerators may be carried out at pressures which do not vary considerably from atmospheric.

Q Another object of the invention is to provide a reirigerating method and'apparatus All in which the refrigerant and the lubricant for the pump may be mixed at one time dur-' ing the cycle of operations and subse uently separated before the refrigerant is a mitted to the expansion chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reirigerating apparatus and method according to which the flow of lubricant to the pump is automatically discontinued upon loss oi pressure in the refrigerant gas being pumped to the condenser.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive condenser suitable for condensing the refrigerant which may be made out of the sections oi steam heating radiators.

Another object at the invention is to provide an improved valve mechanism for shu'ttin ed the flow of one fluid in response to the oss of pressure in another flowing For purposes of illustration, the accompanying rawings show one oi the many possible embodiments in which the present invention may take form.

m In these drawings, Figure 1 is a layout Ziti The principal object of the present invenof the complete system showing parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a section through a valve mechanism with the valve closed;

Fig. 3 is a section through a valve mechanism with the valve opened; and

Fig. 4 illustrates a form of pump. A conventional type of refrigerator box is shown at 10, and, in any suitable manner, there is supported in this box an expansion chamber 11 which ma be made in any form, but is here illustrate as being made up of a number of ordinary steam radiator heating sections 12, 12, certain of which are spaced apart to provide accommodations for pans 13, in which ice may be frozen. The

liquid refrigerant is admitted to theexpansion chamber or evaporator 11 through an expansion valve 14 connected to a pipe 15 which leads from the condenser to be de scribed. The low pressure exhaust gas is drawn from the evaporator 11 through a pipe line 16 into a pump 17 which may be operated by an electric motor 18. The discharge 19 from the pump is led into the bottom 20 of a valve mechanism 21 (shown in detail in Fig. 2), and from'this valve mechanism it passes by pipe line 22 into the top of the condenser 23.

While the condenser 23 may be of any form, it is here shown as being made up of a plurality of to and bottom connected steam heating ra iator sections 24 and 25. The bottom of the intermediate sections 24 has been disconnected from the bottom of the outer or leg sections 25, and these intermediate sections 24 have been inverted so that they stand up above the top of the sections 25. A pipe 26 connects the bottom of the outer sections 25, 25, and the motor and pump may be mounted in the space which wasqoriginally occupied by the intermediate sections. These intermediate sections 24 are adapted to act as a condenser for the material delivered athigh pressure by the pump.

In a refrigerating system using butane, the ordinary 'roomtemperature is cool enough to condense the refrigerant to a liquid which drains into the bottom of the inverted interf suitable lubricant.

mediate sections 24. The outer sections I I lubricant.

To introduce the refri erant to the lower part of the separator, t ere is provided a vent 27 and a pipe 27 connected into the bottom 28 of the condenser 23. The refrigerant 29 which collects above the lubricant 26 may flow from the separator to, the evaporatorthrough the pipe 15 connected .as shown at 30.

The lubricant 26 which fills the bottom'of the sections 25 and the pipe 26, is introduced into the pump 17 through a-pipe line 31, 32, and inter osed valve mechanism 21.

This va ve mechanism, as shown in detail in .F i s. 2 and 3, will now be described. The mixe gas and oil discharged at high pres sure from the pump through the pipe 19 goes through a passage 33 into a chamber 34 *directly underneath a piston 35, which piston is adapted to open or close ports 36 and 37, and to raise and lower a valve closure member 38 off the seat 39. The ports 36 and 37 lead into an annular chamber 40, which chamber is connected to the discharge line 22 for gas andlubricant. The piston is adapted to travel in a bore 41, ackmg 42 being provided to prevent lea age.

1 The upper end of the piston 35 is connected to a flexible diaphragm 43 which may be v in the form of a sylphon, the upper end 44 of which is disposed as indicated. A-small port 45 connects the chamber 34 with the chamber 40,, and a second small port 46 connects the chamber 40 with the outside of theiflexlble diaphragm 43, so that the outside of this diaphragm is subjected to the pressure of the gas and oil.

The oil line 31 connects to a chamber .47

whichsurrounds'the movable member 38 of the valve and which is closed by a ca screw 48. .The stem .49 of the valve mec anism passes down through the flexible member 43 and is-connected to the bottom of the piston as shown at 50. This stem is considerably smaller than the bore 51 which is directly underneath the valve seat 39, so that the oil may ass under the valve through the hole or ore 51 into another hole 52, whichis connected with the lubricant discharge outlet 32. This arrangement ermits the diaphragm to respond to the di erence in pressure betW een the oil and the mixed gas and oil.-

A convenient assemblage of valve mechanism is shown in which the main valve casing 53 is threaded at 54 to receive a plug 55. This-plug is provided with the hexagonal head 56, threaded connection 57 for the pi e 19, and with the ports and chambers a ove described. The upper end of. the flexible head 43 is clamped in place by tightening the threaded plug in the casing.

The pump discharges the mixed gas and oil at high pressure. This pressure is communicated directly to the bottom of the piston 35 which forces the piston up so as to permit the oil and gas to flow through the port 36, chamber 40 and gas and oil outlet 22. This movement of the piston moves the member 38 off the seat 39, and permits the oil to pass through the valve into the line 32 to supply the pump with lubricant. This also insures that the pressure on the opposite sides of the flexible diaphragm will be balanced. Should the pump for any reason stop operating, the pressure in the line 19, 22 will be lost and the excess pressure of the lubricant in the inside of the flexible head and on the piston will force the piston downwardly to close the ports 36, 37 and to seat the valve member 38, thereby discontinuing the flow of lubricant to the pump. This prevents the flooding with lubricating material of the pump which being designed for pumping gases, is diflicult to start when full of liquid.

One of the many possible types of pumps which may be used is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4.' It has two moving parts, one rolling inside the other. The outer part is in the form of an annular gear 60, while the inner part is a pinion 61 having one tooth less than the gear, so that the teeth of'one may always be in engagement with the teeth of the other. The gears are mounted on eccentric axes, so that the teeth mesh at one point and clear at the other point.

What is claimed is:

1. The refrigerating process which comprises the commingling of refrigerant gas at low pressure with lubricant, passing the gas and lubricant through a pump to raise the pressure of the gas and lubricant, cooling the gas to condense the refrigerant, and separating the condensed refrigerant and lubricant and limiting the flow of lubricant by the amount of pressure within the pump.

2. A refrigerating system comprising in combination an evaporator, a condenser 10- cated above said evaporator, having a gravity feed from the condenser to the evaporator, a pump for transferring refrigerant from the evaporator to the condenser, means for introducing a lubricant also into the pump along with the refrigerant, so that the lubricant is pumped into the condenser, and a valve operative responsive to the pressure produced cant within the pump.

3. A refrigerating system having a condenser located above an evaporator,a gravityfeed from the former to the latter, a pump for transferring refrigerant from the evaporator to the condenser, means for introducing a lubricant into the pump along with the refrigerant so that the lubricant is also pumped into the condenser, means for separating the lubricant from the refrigerant, means operable responsive to the pressureproduced by the pump for controlling the flow of lubricant therein and returning said separated lubricant to the pump, and means for returning the separated refrigerant to the evapo rator. s

4. A refrigerating system having a condenser located above' an evaporator, a gravity-feed from the former to the latter, a pump for transferring refrigerant from the evaporator to the condenser, means for introducing a lubricant into the pump along with the refrigerant so that the lubricant also is pumped into the condenser, and means for separating the lubricant from the refrigerant, a valve operative responsive to pressure producedby the pump for controlling the admission of said separated lubricant to the pump, and means for feeding the separated refrigerant to the evaporator.

5. A refrigerating apparatus ada ted to use a volatile refrigerant and a liqui lubricant of different specific gravity, comprising a in combination a condenser, a separator located below the condenser and having means to receive and and separate the co-mingled fluids by gravity, an evaporator, a pump between the evaporator and the condenser. a

connection from the separator to the pump, whereby lubricatin fluid may be pumped from the separator directly to the condenser, and a valve responsive to the high pressure produced by the pump for controlling the flow of lubricating fiu1d within the pump.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus adapted to use a volatile refrigerant and a liquid lubricant of different specific gravity, the combination of a condenser located above an evaporator having means to receive the two commingled fluids, means for separating the fluids by gravity, a pump between the evaporator and the condenser, a connection from the separated lubricant to the pump whereby lubricating fluid may be pumped from the separator directly to the condenser, and a valve between the separator and pump,said valve being responsive to pressure in the line between the pump and the condenser. 7. In a refrigerating system adapted to use a volatile refrigerant and a liquid lubricant of different specific gravity, the combination of a condenser located above an evaporator, a gravity separator connected to the condenser to receive both fluids, a connection from the separator to the evaporator adapted to transfer the refrigerant fluid, connections between the evaporator and condenser including a pump and a valve mechanism, and a connection from the separator to the pump, said last mentioned connection including the valve mechanism and being adapted to transfer lubricating fluid from the separator, said valve mechanism being capable of actuation by pump produced pressure in the first connections to open the valve. mechanism to permit passage of lubricant.

8. In a refrigerating-apparatus adapted to use a readily-vaporizing refrigerant and a non-volatile liquid lubricant of a different specific gravity, the combination of an expansion-chamber wherein the liquid refrigerant will vaporize and thereby chill its surroundings, a condenser having means for cooling its contents, a pump for drawing in the vaporized refrigerant from said chamber and alsothe lubricant and for forcing the mixture of the two under pressure into said condenser whose cooling-effect liquefies the refrigerant, means for separating said liquid refrigerant'from the lubricant and leading it to said expansion-chamber, and means. for admitting the separated lubricant back to said pump and means operable responsive to the high pressure produced by the pump for controlling the admission of lubricant within the pump.

9. In a refrigerating-apparatus adapted to use a readily-vaporizing refrigerant and a non-volatile lubricant of a different specific gravity, the combination of an expansionchamber wherein the li uid refrigerant will vaporize and thereby chill its suroundings, a condenser having means for cooling its contents, a pump for drawing in the vaporized refrigerant from said chamber and also the lubricant and for forcing the mixture of the two under pressure into said condenser whose cooling eflect liquefies the refrigerant, means for separating said liquid refrigerant from the lubricant and leading it to said expansionchamber, and means for admitting the separated lubricant back to said pump, the last-named means including a valve respon sive to the high pressure produced by said pump to control the lastnamed admission of said lubricant.

10. A'refrigeratingapparatus comprising a condenser located above an evaporator, a pump for drawing in the evaporated refrigerant and forcing it under pressure into said condenser, a pipe whereby the liquid refrigerant passes into the evaporant, and means 4 11. A refrigerator having a condenser located above an evaporator, a gas pump for raising the pressure of the refrigerant gas, a lubricating system for the pum said system including means Wherebythe ubricant and refrigerant gas are commingled in said pump at low pressure and subsequently separated at high pressure andsegregated, means whereby the lubricant and the liquid refrigerant are separately returned to the pump and evaporator respectively, and a device responsive to the high pressure produced by the gas pump for opening a valve in the lubricatmg system to admit the lubricant to the P P- I 12. A refrigerator having a condenser located above an evaporator, a s pump for raising the'pressure of the re rigerant gas, a lubricating system including means whereby the lubricant and refrigerant gas'are commingled in said pump at low pressure and subsequently separated at high pressure and segregated, means whereby the lubricant and the liquid refrigerant are separately admitted to the pump and the evaporator respectively, said means including a device operative responsive to the high pressure produced by the gas pump for opening a valve in the lubricating system to admit the lubricant to the pump, said device automatically discontinumg the flow of lubricant upon loss of pump-produced ressure.

' RY. D. EDWARDS. 

